Liquid-feed control



Dec. 11, 1928. 1,694,621

' R. G. JONES LIQUID FEED CONTROL Filed Dec. 14, 1925 i k g @WZ ATTOR/SJEEY;

l atenteoi Dec. ll, 192$.

Uhli'l E SATES RICHARD GIRARD JONES,

OF I-IYNES, CALIFORNIA.

LIQUID-FEED GONTROL- Application filed December 14, 1925. Serial No. 75,289.

My invention relates to a liquid feed control device such as is used in connection with boilers.

The water level in a boiler is kept at acertain place for reasons of efficiency and also to prevent explosions and damage being done to the boiler. For illustration, if the water level in a return tube boiler drops below the upper fire tube, the fire tube will overheat and is very liable to blow out, resulting sometimes in serious damage.

It is an object of this invention to pro-* vide a liquid feed control device which will control the feeding of water (or other liquid) into a boiler (or the like), in a manner to maintain the level in the boiler at a certain plane.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device of this character having a float which is open at one end which operates in a float chamber filled with liquid, the float being lifted by introducing a vapor into the interior thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing in which I illustrate my invention,

Fig. 1 is a general view illustrating one use of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

in the drawing, 11 represents a boiler which is suitably supported in a furnace 12. The boiler 11, which I have shown, is a return tube type of boiler and is provided with lines or fire tubes 13 which extend horizontally therethrough. The water level of the boiler is kept slightly above the fire tubes 13 as indicated at let.

Situated adjacent to the boiler 11 is a water column 15 which provides a closed space 16, the water column 15 comprising a cylindrical shell 17 a tight top 18 and a tight bottom 19. A pipe 21 connects to the T vapor space of the boiler 11 and to the vapor space in the closed space 16, and a pipe 22 connects with aliquid space of the water column 15 and with the boiler 11, as shown. The water level in the water column 15 is in dicated at 23 in Fig. 1, thislevel being the same as the level 14: in the boiler 11 and being observed by means of a gauge glass 24.

Situated near the water column 15 is a shell 26 having a tight top 27 and a ti ht bottom 28 which provide a float cham er 55 30. Connected to the water column 15 at a point which is intended to be the lowest liquid level thereof is a float chamber inlet pipe 31 having a shut-off valve 32. A vertical part 33 of the inlet pipe 31 extends upward through the tight bottom 28 and into the floatchamber 30. Connected to the chamber 30 at the highest point thereof, by means of the tight top 27, is a return pipe 35. This return pipe 35 extends downward and connects to the closed space 16 very near the bottom thereof and has a shut-01f valve 36 provided therein.

Placed inside the float chamber 30 is a float 39. The float 39 consists of a cylindrical shell 40 which is slightly smaller in diameter than the shell 26 and a tight head l1 which is situated at the upper end of the shell 40. The lower end of the float 39 is open and the upper end of the vertical part 33 of the pipe 31 extends inside the float 39 into a space 42 thereof.

Secured at the lower part of the shell 40 of the float 39 is a spider 44c and extending downward from the spider 4A is a rod 15. The rod 45 extends through a stufiing box 46 of the tight bottom 28 to the exterior of the float chamber. The lower end of the rod 45 is pivotally connected at 4:8 to a fulcrum arm 4&9 which is fulcrumed at 50 on a bracket 51. The fulcrum arm 4.9 is pivoted at 53 to the upper end of a valve stem 54 of a balance valve 55. The balance valve 55 is connected in a liquid supply line 57 which connects to the interior of the boiler 11. The liquid supply line 57 may be provided with a pump 58 by means of which liquid is pumped through the liquid supply line 57 into the boiler 11 when the balance valve 55 is open.

In the operation of my invention, the boiler 11 is filled with hot water up to the water level 14 and the upper portion of the boiler is filled with steam. The water column 15 is filled with hot water up to the water level 23, and the upper part thereof is filled with,

of cold water out the float chamber 30.

As steam is generated in the boiler 11 drawn therefrom the water level therein drops below the level indicated 1%, and the water level in the water column 1? likewise drops below the level indicated at 23. ll hen the water drops to a level indicated by dotted ines 60 in the water column 15, steam will pass through the inlet )lPC 33 and into the float chamber 30. This steam, since it is lighter than water and sinc it is intro duced into the space d2 of the float 39, flows to the upper part of the float S9 and raises it in the float chamber 30.

hen the float 39 rises in the chamber 30 the right end o" he fulcrum arm 49 is raised and the end thereot is depressed and the balance Va ve 55 is opened. This allows water to pass through the liquid supply line 57 to the boiler l1. "er level in the boiler 11 is thus raised, and the water level in the water column l5 is also raised and it will move to a point above the pipe 31, this cutting off the supply of steam to the space l2 of the float 39. Since the space in the chamber is somewhat cooler than the water column 15 the steam readily condenses and the float vill lower to its initial position and the balance a ive 55 will be shut oil, thus shutting oil the supply of water to the boiler 11.

In the actual operation ol the device the water level in the water column 15 is kept very close to the inlet pipe 31, and when it does fall below the inlet pipe 31 steam will flow into the float chamber 30 a d raise the floata very slight amount, open g the balance valve 55 but a slight amount lhe sensitiveness of th float arrangement lzeeps the water in the boiler at a very uniform level.

The inlet ipe 31 is provided with a petcocl: and the return pipe is provided with a pet cocl: (33 v set into operation and a ll: established through .i t the pet-cocks 62 and 03 are opened to eliminate permanent lVhcn the water flows through the pipe 51 and reaches the petcoclr 62, the pet-cock 62 may be closed. lVhen the water rises in the at chamber 30 and begins flow through the pet-coclr 63 it will be known that all the air has been The Ni Lees closed forced therefrom and tl e pet-cock 63 may be closed. The tight bottom 28 of the float chamber 30 is provided "ith a sediment drain-cock My invention broadly stated, consists in a float chamber having a float which is open at the lower end and which is adapted to operate in connection with a closed space containing liquid and vapor tor the purpose of controlling the liquid level in this closed space. The liquid level in the closed space may be controlled either as shown in the drawing by the operation of the balance valve 55, or by the operation of the pump 58. My invention is very valuable since it is ex;- tremely dependable in operation and since it is very sensitive so that it will maintain the water level in the boiler very close to the level indicated at 14.

I claim as my invention:

1. ln a liquid teed control, the combination of walls forming a closed space, the lower portion of said space being filled with liquid and the upper portion of said space being filled with vapor; walls forming a float chamber; a float chamber inlet pipe connected to said closed space below the level of liquid therein and extending to a point within said float chamber; return pipe connected to said float chamber and to sad closed space near the lower end thereof; a normally non-buoyant float situated in said float chamber said float having the lower end thereoi open, said float chamber inlet pipe extending so as LO introduce liquid into space inside sale tloat and to introduce vapor into said space inside said lioat to render said float buoyant when the liquid level in said closed space tolls below the intalre end of said float chamber inlet pipe. said vapor raising said float in said float chamber; and means operated by said loat when it is raised, for raising the liquid level in t d closed space.

m. in a liquid 'lced control, the combination of valls forming a closed space, the lower portion of said space being filled w th liquid and the upper portion of said space being filled with vapor; walls forming a closed float chamber; a float chamber inlet pipe connected to said closed space below the level of liquic therein and extencing to a point within said float chamber; a return pipe connected t aid float chamber and to -o s( said closed space near the lower end thereof; a normally nondnioyant lloat situated in said iioat chamber, said float having the lower end thereof open, said lloat chamber inlet pipeextending so as to introduce liquid into space inside said float and to introduce vapor into said space inside said float to render said tioat l uoyant ween the liquid level in said closed space 'falls below the intake end of said float chamber inlet pipe, said vapor raising said float in said float chamber;

supply line through which a liquid lied to said closed space; a valve in o, quid supply line; and means connected to said valve and said float whereby said valve is opened when said float is raised.

3. in a iquid :teed control, the combination of s forming a closed space, the lower pole of said space being lilled with liquid and the upper portion of said space being fllled with vapor; walls forming a closed float chamber; a float chamber inlet pipe connected to said closed space bel w the level oi liquid therein and extending to a point within said float chamber; a rotor pipe connected to said float chamber and to said closed space near the lower end thereo'l; a normally non-buoyant float situated in said float chamber, said float having the lower end thereof open, saFd float chamber inlet pipe extending so as to introduce liquid into a space inside said float andto introduce vapor into said space inside said floatto render said float buoyant when the liquid level in said closed space falls below the intake end of said float chamber inlet pipe, said vapor raisingsaid float in said. float chamber; a boiler partially tilled with liquid and part ally filled with vapor; heating means for said boiler; a pipe connecting the vapor portion oi said boiler to the vapor portion of said closed space; a pipe connected to the liquid portion of said closed space and to said boiler; and means for supplying liquid said boiler when said float is raisedv 4C. In a liquid feed control, the combination or" walls forming a closed space, the lower portion of said space being fllled with liquid and the upper portion of said space being filled with vapor; walls forming a closed float chamber; a float chamber inlet pipe connected to said closed space below the level of liquid therein and extending to a point within said float chamber; a return pipe connected to said float chamber and to said closed space near the lower end thereof; a normally non-buoyant float situated in said float chamber, said float having the lower end thereof open, said float chamber inlet pipe extending so as to introduce liquid into a space inside said float and to introduce vapor into said space inside said float to render said float buoyant when the liquid level in said closed space falls below the intake end of said float chamber inlet pipe, aid vapor raising said float in said float chamber; a boiler partially filled with liquid and partially filled with vapor; heatii means for said boiler; a pipe connecting the vapor portion of: said boiler to the vapor portion of said closed space; a pipe connected to the liquid portion of said closed space and to said boiler; a liquid supply line connected to said boiler; a valve in said liquid supply line; and means for opening said valve when said float is raised.

nected to said float chamber and to said water column near the lower end thereof; a normally non-buoyant float situated in said float chamber, said float having the lower end thereof open, said float chamber inlet pipe extending so as to introduce liquid into a space inside said float and to introduce vapor into said space inside said float to render said float buoyant when the liquid level of said water column falls below the intake end of said float chamber inlet pipe, said float being adapted to be raised by said vapor; and means operated by said float for actuating a valve.

6. A feed-water valve operating mechanism adapted to use in combination with a boiler, a water column associated therewith, a water supply line and a valve therein, said valve operating mechanism comprising: .a float chamber; a float chamber inlet pipe extending upwardly within said float chamber, said pipe being connected at its other end to said water column just below the water level therein; a return pipe connected to said float chamber and to said water column near the lower end thereof; a normally nonbuoyant inverted bucket float situated in said float chamber, said float having the lower end thereof open, said float chamber inlet pipe extending so as to normally introduceliquid into a space inside said float and to introduce vapor into said space inside said float to render said float buoyant when the liquid level or said water column falls below the intake end of said float chamber inlet pipe, said float being adapted to be raised by said vapor; and means actuated by said float when it is raised for operating said valve.

7. A valve operating mechanism adapted to use in combination with a boiler, a water column associated therewith, a water supply line and a valve therein, said valve operating mechanism comprising: a float chamber; a float chamber inlet pipe extending upwardly within said float chamber, said pipe being connected at its other end to said water column just below thewater level therein; a return pipe connected to said float chamber and to said water column near the lower end thereof; an inverted bucket float situated in said float chamber, said float having the lower end thereoi open, said float chamber inlet pipe extending so as to normally introduce liquid into a space inside said float and to introouce vapor into said space inside said float when the liquid level of said water column falls below the intake end of said float chamber inlet oipe, said float being adapted o be raised by said vapor; and means actuated by said float When it is raised for operating said valve, said means including a spider structure Within said float and a rod secured to said spider structrue and associated at its other end with said valve.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of December, 1925.

RICHARD GIRARD JONES. 

